A 17-year-old junior high school (JHS) pupil died when she took a local potion to induce a non-existent abortion. The deceased was alleged to have missed her menses, and suspecting pregnancy, she sought the assistance of a herbalist who was said to have prepared the potion for her to abort the pregnancy. A family source that pleaded anonymity told The Mirror that the woes of the girl, a mother of one, started on December 3, 2013 when she reported to school and started complaining of stomach pains. Back home, she had told her parents that she was rather having a headache, and so the efforts of the parents were geared towards getting her medication to get rid of the headache. She was later rushed to the Royal Hospital in Ho where doctors revealed that she had taken a concoction which had destroyed the organs in the stomach. She died about three hours later. However, a check from her medical records did not indicate that she had been pregnant, indicating that she might have taken the potion when she thought she was pregnant. At her funeral at Taviefe-Deme near Ho, there was near chaos between the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO) and the youth group of the town over who had the right to convey her remains to the cemetery for burial. She was a member of the CYO, and so the group had come to convey her remains to the cemetery after the burial service, but the youth of the town would not agree, insisting that since she was a youth of the town, they must have the right to convey her remains for burial. Their show of aggression ultimately led to the CYO leaving the remains to be carried by the youth of the town, while they followed. A friend of the deceased’s mother, who only identified herself as Sheila, told this reporter that the deceased was the only daughter of the mother. According to Sheila, the deceased became pregnant while in JHS 2 and the mother took the child after the delivery to enable the deceased to continue with her education. However, suspecting she was pregnant again the girl confided in a friend that she had missed her menses and went ahead to seek the assistance of the herbalist who prepared the potion for her to abort the foetus. Sheila said her friend explained that when the deceased took the potion, she bled a little but  maintained that the entire foetus had not been destroyed and, therefore, continued to take the potion. Her visibly saddened mother could not hold back her tears at the funeral and kept on asking why her daughter kept the issue from her. A family source also said at a point the deceased emitted an offensive odour from the mouth but no one could say what was wrong, since she claimed she had a headache.  

  The Kaneshie Police has questioned the landlord and tenants of the compound house at Darkuman in Accra where the suspect behind the recent kidnapping of children from churches lived. The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, told the Daily Graphic that the landlord, who lived in the same house, was invited together with the tenants to help the police in their investigations. He said they had since been granted police enquiry bail and were required to report themselves at the Kaneshie Police Station everyday. Arrest  The suspected kidnapper, Ernest Kwabena Koomson, alias Ernest Abotsi, was arrested on Sunday in connection with the kidnapping of a 10-year-old boy at the Lighthouse Chapel International at Kaneshie. The suspect, a 27-year-old self styled pastor, was arrested along with his accomplice, Isaac Ntie, a 19-year-old unemployed, after he had picked up the ransom for the child. Koomson is believed to be the brain behind the recent kidnappings that hit churches in the Accra metropolis.   The police found the fourth child kidnapped from the Lighthouse Chapel International in the suspect’s room. Ransom  The police, while on an awareness creation campaign on the recent kidnappings, had information about the abduction of the son of one of the pastors of the Lighthouse Chapel International at Kaneshie and trailed the suspect and his accomplice. Since the beginning of December 2013, four children have been kidnapped from three different churches in Accra. Parents of the first victim of the kidnapping incident, which happened at the International Central Gospel Church at Abossey Okai, paid a GH¢2,500 ransom for the release of their 10-year-old son.  He was kidnapped on December 1, 2013 and his parents paid the ransom without involving the police.  In the second instance, which happened on December 8, 2013, the kidnappers demanded GH¢3,000 for the release of a nine-year-old girl who was abducted from the North Kaneshie branch of the Winners Chapel International. A week later, another 10-year-old boy was kidnapped at the Grace Outreach Church and the kidnappers demanded the same amount before he was freed. All the kidnappings took place on Sundays and the children were intact when they were released by the kidnappers after their demands had been met. Mr Yohuno said the suspect had been charged with kidnapping and would be put before the Accra Circuit Court today. He urged members of the public to volunteer information that would aid the police in carrying out their duty of protecting lives and property. Writers email:[email protected]  

  A 63-year-old man, Kwabena Osei, missed this year’s Christmas celebration when he was remanded in prison custody for an alleged arson on his ex-wife’s room at Assin Nsuta in the Assin South District in the Central Region. Osei, also known as Concern, is said to have set fire to the room of his ex-wife, Madam Afua Amoabemaa, 50, following her refusal to return to her matrimonial home. He is to re-appear before the Assin Fosu Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Mr Kwame Ohene Mensah, on December 30, 2013 on a charge of arson. According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Kwabena Owusu-Bempah, the Assin Fosu District Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Osei and Amoabemaa have been married for the past 13 years without an issue. Mr Owusu-Bempah said besides this predicament, Osei had been accusing Amoabemaa of infidelity. He said Amoabemaa, who could not withstand the disparaging remarks her ex-husband made about her, decided to back out of the union and therefore presented customary drinks to Osei’s family for that purpose. Mr Owusu-Bempah said on  December 14, Amoabemaa returned home to find Osei in her house. He had come to plead for reconciliation. According to the ASP Owusu-Bempah, Amoabemaa declined the request, and in the course of the discussion the meeting degenerated into hot verbal exchanges. In the wee hours of that night, ASP Owusu-Bempah said, Osei was spotted in a taxi by some young men who were returning from a video show, with a gallon suspected to contain petrol.   The district commander said the young men, who were privy to what transpired between Osei and Amoabemaa earlier during the day, trailed Osei, who had sneaked into the back of the room of his ex-wife. Hardly had Osei emerged from behind the room in an attempt to escape than they saw fire coming from that portion of the house. The young men, according to ASP Owusu-Bempah, shouted for help. Amoabemaa and the rest of the household were awakened by the noise and they were assisted by some of their neighbours to put out the fire. The young men, together with others, later constituted a search party to search for Osei and they succeeded in arresting him in the bush on the outskirts of the town. He was handed over to the police who arraigned him before court.    

A magistrate’s court in Accra has issued a warrant for the arrest of a hotel guest who vanished into thin air after piling a sizeable bill. Keith Owino, a Ugandan, is reported to have checked into a hotel apartment at Madina, Accra, and after heaping bills to the tune of $3,623 (Three Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty-Three dollars), slipped out one day without notice. He faces the charge of defrauding by false pretences under Ghana’s criminal code. Owino, 35, is said to be dark in complexion, slim-built and stands at 5ft tall. He is also described by the police as a self-styled businessman and suspected to be hiding at Kasoa in the Central Region. Owino's passport was issued in Uganda in 2004 and bears the number B0462302. It also claims he was born in Nairobi, Kenya. “Anybody with information on his whereabouts should report to the Legon District Police Station or call telephone numbers +233 20 9310493 or +233 302 519238 or the Crime Fighters hotline in Ghana, MTN and Vodafone short code 18555 for rapid response,” police documents shown Graphic.com.gh enlisted the public.

  The Japanese Embassy in Ghana a grant of $242,666  has been provided by the Japanese Embassy in Ghana to help two bodies in the country acquire healthcare facilities. The Paediatric Unit of the 37 Military Hospital would be given $120,726 to enable it acquire neonatal ventilators and their accessories to save newborns that are in critical condition, while $121,940 would be used for the construction of a clinic and staff quarters for the people of Aneta-Yordanu in the Volta Region. Both grants were provided under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGHSP) scheme. Neonatal ventilators for 37 Military Hospital As a result of the financial assistance, the hospital will now have a well-equipped Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) by the middle of February 2014.  The Paediatric Unit currently improvises with other equipment to save the lives of neonates. Aside neonates, the ventilators will also help save the lives of children below the age of five.  A ceremony was held at the Japanese Embassy in Accra and the Project Director of  the Centre for Pregnancy and Childbirth Education (CePACE), a non-governmental organisation (NGO),  which solicited financial support from the Japanese Embassy in Ghana to help the hospital, Dr Genevieve Insaidoo, signed for the NGO, while the Charge d’Affaires of the embassy, Mr Shigeru Hamano, signed on behalf of the embassy. Mr Hamano expressed the hope that the assistance would save the lives of newborns and gave an assurance that Japan would continue to partner Ghana to reduce childhood mortality rates in the country. Dr Insaidoo said the CePACE was delighted to have secured the grant from the embassy and that the intervention by the embassy was “one of the means of reducing the staggering neonatal deaths in our country.” She thanked the Japanese Government for its kind gesture and promised to ensure that the aim of the project was realised. Help for Aneta Yordanu The signing of the grant of $121,940 for the Aneta-Yordanu community was initialled on behalf of the embassy by Mr Hamano while the Executive Director of the The Needy Club of Ghana, an NGO, Apostle Killians Kwame Carr, signed on behalf of the NGO. Currently, the Aneta-Yordanu community has no health facility, which has resulted in the residents of the community travelling between seven and 19 kilometres to access healthcare at the Anfoega Catholic Hospital. This has put a lot of pressure on the hospital, hence the grant from the Japanese government will ease pressure on the hospital as well as bring healthcare on the doorstep of the community. The construction of the clinic and staff quarters will be completed in August 2014. The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dayi, Mr George Loh, and the District Chief Executive for North Dayi, Mr Stephen K. Timinca, expressed gratitude to the Japanese Government for its gesture.  

Nigerians living in Ghana have been advised to be law-abiding to help build on the age-old friendly relations between the two nations. The head of Chancery of the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana, Mr Olurope Obasola Osasona, who made the call at the end-of-year get together of the Nigeria Youth Association in Kumasi, said Nigerians and Ghanaians have over the years lived as brothers and sisters and nothing should be done to mar the relationship. He pointed out that every nation had laws and regulations that must be obeyed by all residents irrespective of whether one was a citizen or not. In that regard, Nigerians had a duty to ensure that not a single Ghanaian law was disregarded. He commended the association for working hard to educate its members on peace and brotherliness, which had gone a long way to ensure a strong Nigerian community in Kumasi. In a welcome address, the president of the association, Mr Okafor Martins Chukwudi, said the association was formed in 1991 with the aim of fostering good relationship among members as well as performing voluntary services to help the needy both in Ghana and in Nigeria. Besides, the association  encouraged its members to exercise their civic rights and movements as true Nigerian citizens in conformity with ECOWAS principles and laws of Ghana. Mr Chukwudi said the unity among the members had manifested in the beginning of work for the construction of a GH¢600,000 Hall at Suame Magazine.  When completed, the plaza would provide business and social services, among other activities, to Nigerians and Ghanaians. He commended the Ghana Police and the other security services for creating an enabling atmosphere to safeguard the  lives and property of Nigerians in Kumasi. He mentioned a recent misunderstanding between some Nigerian traders and their Ghanaian counterparts at Suame Magazine in Kumasi and called for peace among them by using dialogue to resolve their differences. “Nigeria and Ghana are like a wedded couple. Divorce is difficult if not impossible,” he said.

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), on Thursday described the report released by the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Committee set up to investigate the recent impasse between the FDA and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals as inaccurate. Mr James Lartey, FDA’s Public Relations officer in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), debunked the part of the report which indicated that the FDA’s Registration Committee met only once in the last four years, describing the assertion as “untrue”. He said the Registration Committee met on regular basis and that for 2013 alone, it had met five times, the last being on the 23rd December 2013. He added that the committee met regularly to evaluate all documents to ensure that the Dossier presented by pharmaceutical companies did not contain forged documents. “Between 2010 and 2013, a total of about 5,033 applications were received out of which 3254 were given approval and the remaining ones were rejected due to the inability of applicants to meet the quality, safety, efficacy or documentation requirements. “All these are done to ensure that only good quality, efficacious and safe medicines are approved to be on the market. “The Law that governs medicine regulation in this country was passed by Parliament; the Committee in the MOH cannot change the law”, he added. In response to the allegation that products cleared under detention were unprotected with FDA padlocks,  Mr Lartey said: “At anytime products are allowed to be cleared under detention pending market authorization, the FDA officer and the importer/ applicant signs the detention form after the quantity of the consignment has been determined by both parties”. "This then becomes a binding legal document between the parties. It must be noted that once the detention notice is signed, the consignment is not to be touched until further notice is given.” Mr Lartey noted that the FDA  had on several occasions detained medicinal products at the Central Medical Stores without locking up the place, otherwise Ghanaians would have been deprived of government’s supply of medicines. “It must however be noted that once a detention notice is given, the client has no right whatsoever to touch the product until the Authority has released the products or otherwise. "Is it being suggested that the client has the right to go for his products if the client feels the regulator is “keeping too long?, he  questioned. On transparency, the FDA wondered how the allegation was arrived at and stated that its processes were very transparent and that applicants were communicated to on regular basis on the status of their application, with piles of documents to prove it. “The FDA wishes to state that there have been instances where importers have concealed unregistered medicines in a consignment of registered medicines, concealed medicines in second-hand vehicles and fridges and in other items; usage of unapproved routes to import medicines into the country; and other importation challenges that needed a holistic approach involving all stakeholders. “Approvals on registration of products are not made by a single person but by a Committee’s decision”, he stated. - GNA

  Individuals, communities and organisations engaged in various charitable, entertaining and church activities to mark Christmas Day. Majority of Christians marked the day, which marks the birth of Jesus Christ as the saviour of the world, with church services during which sermons revolving around the themes of love, sharing and the birth of Jesus Christ were preached. Some people flooded entertainment spots, while others took part in street jams. Church services In Accra, Rosemary Ardayfio reports that the Rev. Henry Wharton Memorial Methodist Church in Accra Central held a special service during which some of the youth were confirmed as adult members of the church and others declared as full members. Preaching the sermon, the Rev Victor B. B Boyetey, Superintendent Minister of the church, exhorted Christians to believe that the birth of Jesus was the reason for their very existence. He also said before the birth of Jesus, God’s power was manifested in the word. However, he explained, “when Christ was born, the word became real” and humans could now see the power of God through Him. Rev. Boyetey emphasised that the celebration of Christ’s birth was therefore a time for Christians to do away with all doubts and fears and be assured that God’s divine intentions for their lives would be manifested. At the  Anointed One Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Sakumono Main Branch yesterday, some members were baptised and some youth confirmed to mark St Stephens’ Day, writes Salome Donkor.  Preaching the sermon, the Minister-in-charge, Rev. Emmanuel Adu Tetteh, said the birth of Christ brought peace to mankind. He, therefore, urged Christians to not stop sharing the gospel until the second coming of Christ. He said Christ continued to reveal Himself to mankind and that all those who believed in Him would enjoy peace. Rev. Adu Tetteh urged Ghanaians to change their mentality and analyse issues critically to promote development in the nation and stressed that politicians, individuals, as well as all peace-loving people, should develop a new mentality and analyse issues critically in the interest of national peace and development. Immediate past Presbyters of the congregation, including Mrs Elisabeth Kwapong, a former Senior Presbyter; Mrs Naomi Wiafe, Mr John Nyadjro Snr. and Mr Joseph Akrofi, were honoured. Edmund Smith-Asante reports  from the Christ Chapel of Full Gospel Church International at Race Course, Accra that the Associate Pastor of the church, Rev. James Debrah, urged all Christians to live harmoniously and allow peace and goodwill to reign among them. Speaking on the theme: Peace and goodwill to all men”, Rev. Debrah said Christians could live victorious lives and accomplish so much if they lived in unity. He thus urged Christians to always remain bonded together, eschew divisive tendencies and always show goodwill towards all men and not only during Christmas. At the St John the Evangelist Catholic Church at Adenta Frafraha, Severious Kale-Dery reports that the Parish Priest, the Very Rev. Fr Anthony Richard Opong, asked Christians to show love to the poor and needy in the society as they made merry. “There is somebody somewhere who needs your love. For this period, touch the life of somebody who needs your help,” he said, and tasked those who have, to share with the less-privileged ones in the society. He said Christians had every cause to rejoice because the Messiah had been born, and encouraged all to “surrender our problems and worries to infant Jesus, who has come to rescue us”. The Very Rev Fr Opong said the birth of Jesus Christ should be a time for reconciliation and merry-making, adding, “Let us be happy and let our happiness overflow to touch others.”  Charles Andoh also reports that at the Christ Embassy Church, the head pastor, Pastor Biodun Lawal, explained the essence of Christmas and the birth of Christ to the members. Pastor Lawal said Jesus Christ was the mediator who had to be born in the form of man to explain the nature of God to man. He added that Jesus’s birth was very symbolic, in that when man sinned, mankind was separated from God and Jesus had to be sent to die for the whole world.     Pastor Lawal stated that by Jesus’s birth, the world was reconciled to God and, therefore, called on all Christians to use the occasion to evangelise to others about the relevance of the birth of Christ. Street parties Street parties were also held on some principal streets of Accra, reports Daniel Agbenyega. One of the parties organised by a famous drinking spot in Accra-Newtown, Rooftop, attracted about 400 people, both young and old. The street party ended the following morning. Patrons lighted fire crackers and danced to highlife and hip life music sang by various artistes all night long.  Some patrons of the spot said they were there to forget about the challenges of the year and receive the coming year with hope.  Christmas Day, they added, was also a time to make merry and socialise with new friends. Emmanuel Tawiah Forson reports that some of the entertainment spots that were highly patronised in the capital were ‘Busy Mouth’ at Teshie Estates and ‘Celsbridge,’ a nightclub at Labone. Patrons, mostly youth,  danced and drank to their satisfaction. A man in his 20s, obviously drunk, kept yelling  “Jesus! Jesus! Happy Birthday!”  Donation The El-Dunamis Minstrel, a group of men and women from the Presbyterian Senior High School at Osu, donated items worth GH¢2,500 to the Teshie Orphanage in Accra on the eve of Christmas. The donation included food items and detergents.  The minstrel sang Christmas carols to entertain the children.  Presenting the items, the leader of the El-Dunamis Minstrel, Pastor Samson Okai, said the group was inspired by the Almighty God to share their blessings with their neighbours, including the inmates of the home. According to him, Christmas meant sharing and that was the main reason the Minstrel decided to bless the less-privileged at the Teshie Orphanage. Pastor Okai, who is also the Resident Pastor of Champion Faith Community Chapel, said “The ministry is prepared to adopt some of the children, train them to play any musical instrument of their choice and also take on those who want to become members of the El-Dunamis Minstrel.”  The founder of the orphanage, Mrs Janet Parker, who received the items, commended the group for the hospitality they had shown to the children at the orphanage. She appealed to stakeholders and private organisations to support the orphanage to improve the lot of the children.  

  An entire family comprising a man, his two wives, and children, has been banished from Walewale in the West Mamprusi District in the Northern Region for an alleged recalcitrant behaviour towards the paramount chief of Wungu. The man, Mr Fuseini Bawa, and his family were ordered to leave the town where he had lived with his family over the years for his alleged disrespect to the paramountcy in a matter in which the victim was said to have threatened to sue the chief of Wungu, Wungu Naba Saaka Sulemana.  Although Mr Bawa has since apologised to the Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Na Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, the Nayiri, is yet to consider his pleas. According to the officer in charge of the Walewale Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Simon Peter Akabati, the issue revolved around the ownership of cattle that was placed under the custody of a Fulani herdsman.  He said the herdsman was taking care of the cattle of Mr Bawa and other cattle owners in the area.  The herdsman, whose name was not given, allegedly sold some of the cattle to the owners, thus creating confusion over the actual ownership of those animals sold.  Mr Akabati said realising the mess he had created, the herdsman bolted, leaving the cattle behind.  This created further confusion and disagreement among the people over who actually owned the animal.  He said the Wungu Naba subsequently intervened and distributed the cattle among the owners. The victim was, however, not satisfied with the decision as he felt cheated.  In the ensuing disagreements, the West Mamprusi District Security Committee entreated the Mamprugu Traditional Council to intervene in the matter. The Nayiri, therefore, delegated the Wungu Naba to ensure justice and sanity in the issue. The victim, who was still not satisfied with the resolution, arrived later and wrote a letter to the chief, demanding his share of 26 cattle.  He was also alleged to have threatened legal action if his demands were not met.  The chief, who did not take kindly to the demands and actions by Mr Bawa, reported the matter to the Nayiri who subsequently banished him from the town since the behaviour of the victim amounted to gross insubordination.  

  On behalf of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and on behalf of the Government of Ghana, we wish all Ghanaians a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It has been an exciting year for us at the ministry, with our new vision of ensuring a harmonious society in which the survival and development of the sexes, children, vulnerable and persons with disabilities are guaranteed. As a ministry, we have maintained our core values of integrity, excellence and social justice. In January 2013, we expanded and renewed our mandate to the people of Ghana - our ministry is now mandated to ensure gender equality through mainstreaming gender considerations, promoting the welfare and protection of children and empowering the vulnerable, excluded, aged and persons with disabilities through the use of social protection interventions to achieve national development.  We are committed to contributing to national development. In the light of our renewed mandate, we have developed a restructuring plan for the ministry which would see the Department of Women converted into a Department of Gender and the Department of Social Welfare converted into a Department for Social Development made up of a division for social services and a division for social protection.  Five-year strategic plan With respect to our legal framework, we are also developing a policy and legal framework for social protection, and creating a single agency for adoptions in Ghana. We have finalised the Affirmative Action Bill and forwarded it to the Attorney General. In 2014, we will engage with all stakeholders for discussions on the Bill.  We have developed Legislative Instruments for the Domestic Violence Act, Human Trafficking Act, Domestic Workers, and adoptions this year. We have finalised a comprehensive Child Protection Policy for Ghana. We are also reviewing and strengthening the juvenile justice system. In 2014, we will initiate the processes to review and amend the Persons with Disability Act, 2006. Some achievements in 2013 We have increased the number of households receiving cash grants under our LEAP programme from 65,000 in 2012 to 74,347 in 2013.  This is disbursed in 99 districts across the ten regions of Ghana. We hope to increase this to 100,000 by March 2014 and 150,000 by December 2014.  We have commenced the piloting of e-cash payments under LEAP to beneficiaries in nine districts across seven regions in Ghana. We disbursed cash grants to 7,364 market traders in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions after the fire disasters in 2013. We are establishing a National Targeting Office within the ministry to help us better identify persons in need of social protection in Ghana. We are implementing the National Aging Policy, and have for the first time, created a desk for the elderly at our ministry.  We have initiated discussions of facilitating free bus rides for persons aged 65 and above in Ghana on public transport as part of our social protection mandate. We have inaugurated the National Council on Persons with Disability, and will work hard to ensure, that public places are made disability friendly in Ghana. These tasks have been accomplished with the support of a dynamic hardworking team at the ministry, departments and secretariats, including all our regional and district offices.  We are extremely grateful to all our partners within government, civil society, the media and all other stakeholders for their support. We also thank our development partners  for their support. These include DFID, the World Bank, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNDP and all the others. We urge all Ghanaians to share the joys of the festive season with the less privileged in their churches, mosques, neighbourhoods and communities. Let us spread the love and joy of giving across the length and breath of Ghana. We wish everyone in Ghana a Merry Christmas and Happy New year.  

  The Tema General Hospital Children’s Ward has received a donation worth GH¢3,500 to mark the Christmas festivities. The donation included food items, toys, toiletries, beverages and Christmas related items like hats and spectacles among others. Some of the children and their mothers were decorated with the Christmas hats among others. Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the presentation, the President of the Tema Oil Refinery Ladies Association (TOR Ladies),  Mrs Abigail Aholu, who presented the items, expressed the need to help put smiles on the faces of the children who could not be at home because of their predicaments through no fault of theirs. She said  the TOR Ladies saw the need to help bring the children closer home by going to share what they had with them at the hospital during this Christmas. Mrs Aholu said the Ladies had already presented some items to other hospitals and orphanages, and hoped to extend the support to other areas. On behalf of the TOR Ladies, Mrs Aholu strengthened the nurses and other medical staff through  whose hard work the children and other patients gained their health, and urged them to continue to work hard to help mother Ghana. The Hospital Administrator, Madam Elizabeth Dogbe,  who received the items on behalf of the hospital, expressed gratitude to the TOR Ladies, and called on them for more support to help provide services to make the patients feel at home. She said society had been very kind to the hospital, but will need to do more because day in day out, different cases were reported, while new patients were also admitted. Madam Dogbe thanked them for the support and promised that the items would be used to the benefit of the children at the children’s ward. Other Senior Nursing Officers of the hospital witnessed the donation.  

  Christmas , a celebration hitherto enjoyed by only those who profess Christianity, has now not only become a yearly ritual by Christians but has been embraced by adherents of other religions that partake in the merry making associated with the day. A day set aside to mark the birth of the saviour of the world - Jesus Christ, it has also become synonymous with the sharing of love and engaing in social activities meant to bring people together. In Ghana, the celebration was widespread, with church services, feasts and social activities being the main ways Ghanaians marked the day.  Celebration at Swedru At Agona Swedru in the Central Region, Gilbert Mawuli Agbey reports that church services were held by most churches on Christmas day to mark the birth of Jesus Christ. He says most of the churches visited were filled to capacity and the congregations prayed and gave thanks to God for His protection and guidance throughout the year. At the Saint James Anglican Church, the Archdeacon of the Winneba Archdeaconry of the Anglican Church, Venerable Ebenezer Love Annan, in a sermon said that Christmas was celebrated for Christians to know the purpose and mission of Christ for the world and mankind and was also a period to prepare in expectation of the second coming of the Messiah. He urged Christians to use the celebration of Christmas to prepare their hearts and minds and allow God to change their character and attitude in order to put up Christ-like behaviours. Christmas at Adomi  Gabriel Ahiabor, however, reports that it was all joy for the youth of Adomi in the Asugyaman District in the Eastern Region who celebrated the Christmas day by engaging in various games such as boat racing, playing of cards amidst singing and dancing and cheering crowds in a not-to-be-missed spectacle. Also referred to as Small London, the Christmas extravaganza at Adomi, a community of coconut  and palm trees overhanging the Volta Lake’s banks, attracted participants from other island communities, including Abutia, Sapa, Kwablakope and Yidakope.  Mr Daniel Amedume, a youth leader in the area, said although Christmas was always celebrated by Christians in Adomi, it was actually the new year that was of a far deeper religious significance to the people of the area. He, however, submitted that Christmas could not be separated from the new year, which was a time of reflection and stocktaking. “The idea of Christmas is to show appreciation to God for guiding us successfully throughout the year and also to reflect on the past and make amends,” Mr Amedume said. Celebration in Tamale Vincent Amenuveve reports that residents of Tamale marked the season with church activities and other social events. On Christmas day various churches organised special church services, including carols night, while on the entertainment front residents, including holiday-makers, trooped to the various night clubs and attended other entertainment programmes to have fun. Preaching a sermon at the Winner’s Chapel in Tamale, the Resident Pastor, Victor Irabor, told Christians that Christmas was more than just the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. “It is rather the celebration of your deliverance, liberty and glory of God in your life,” he stressed. Making references to the Holy Bible, Pastor Irabor noted that the purpose of Christmas was to reveal God’s glory to mankind. Other churches visited by the Daily Graphic included the Church of Pentecost, the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) and the OLA Cathedral. Activities outlined by the churches included Christmas conventions, vigils, carols night and children’s programmes. At the ICGC in Tamale for instance, children were feted as part of the Christmas festivities. An Events and Promotion Manager, Mr. Adam Abdul-Basit, told the Daily Graphic that the entertainment front was bubbling with a lot of activities and expressed joy about the way residents patronised all the entertainment programmes during the season. Kumasi celebration According to Kwame Asare Boadu, in Kumasi the Ashati Regional capital, the Anglican Archbishop of Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Daniel Yinkah-Sarfo, called on Ghanaians to fix Jesus in their celebration of Christmas. He said the celebration of Christmas was arguably the biggest global event and that putting Christ in the centre was the surest way of reaping the full benefits of the occasion. Preaching the sermon to a packed congregation at the St. Cyprian Anglican Cathedral in Kumasi on Christmas Day, Most Rev. Prof Yinkah-Sarfo said failure to put Christ at the centre of Christmas defeated the very purpose for which Jesus Christ was born. “A Christ-less Christmas is like a counterfeit United States Dollar. It is useless,” he said. He said when Christ was placed in the scheme of things at Christmas virtues like love, forgiveness, reconciliation and unity became rooted in the people to enable them contribute meaningfully to the society. Quoting John 3:16, to show how the love of God for man resulted in the birth of Jesus, the archbishop said it behoved on all people to shun selfishness and show love to one another. For his part, Nana Yaw Barimah reported that Rev. Dr. Patrick Agyeman Gyebi, Pastor in-charge of the Redemption Assemblies of God Church, New Suame, in his Christmas day message urged all the political parties in the country to put Ghana first ahead of their political interest. He stressed that, it was time all Ghanaians realised the need to take the country's development very seriously and avioded parochial and egoistic interest. Rev. Gyebi said that, Ghanaians should allow the Almighty God to take control of their lives and aviod any negative tendencies that could retard the country's development. He urged all Ghanaians to use the occasion to reflect on their lives and where they fell short, made amends in the best interest of the country. Christmas at Tema From Tema, Rose Hayford Darko reports that  church services were held all across the Metropolis to mark the birth of Christ on the Christmas day . At the First Baptist Church in Tema, the Senior Pastor, Rev Osei Kwebena Nkrahene, urged the congregation to eschew negative tendencies that would not benefit the society. He said the church should be the first  place where  change must start to show the way  for others to follow . Rev Nkrahene  said despite the fact that churches were filled to capacity during festivities and even on Sundays, corruption, killings and armed robbery had persistently continued to exist. Rev Nkrahene explained  that  without determination and a strong will power the bad things would continue to persist. Basing his reading on the theme “Christ is the reason  for the Season” Rev  Nkrahene called on the congregation to start the change from the church  and ensure that negative  things were left out in their individual lives. The church  provided  a feast of food and drinks for the entire congregation to show brotherliness and joy.   

  The chiefs and people of Agbozume in the Ketu South municipality in the Volta Region staged a protest at the weekend, accusing the government of taking their livelihood away from them by giving the Keta Lagoon to the Kesington Salt Factory to mine salt. Hundreds of people, including the elderly and children, led by the chiefs of Kpejakope, Nogokpo and surrounding villages joined the protest. The protest — which also attracted the Volta Regional Security Co-ordinator, Lt Col David Dovlo, and dozens of police personnel — led by the Regional Police Commander, Mr O. I.  Mensah, to the area, brought activities in the area to a halt. The people claimed that without consulting them, the government decided to give the lagoon, on which their livelihoods depend, to the mining company. They also said the activities of the mining company were denying them access to the lagoon, thereby increasing poverty in the area, exposing them to environmental danger, as well as making life unbearable. According to Togbui Atsu Awuaba V of the Somey Traditional Area, in 2010, without consulting them, the government decided to assign the lagoon to Kesington to mine salt. He said they woke up one day and saw earth-moving machines at the site and even though they had written several letters to various stakeholders including the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the municipal assembly, there had been no response but construction work was still ongoing at the site. Togbui Awuaba said they understood that all minerals in the country belonged to the state, but it would have been appropriate if they were consulted so that arrangements could have been made for them to be given alternative livelihood opportunities. “From today, we will not sit down. They have power, and government is using its machinery but our power is people’s power. Once government has shown that whether we live or die, it is not concerned, we will also find a way of living.” He added that the mining company could have even been assigned to the Edina side of the lagoon where the people had the sea as an alternative source of livelihood, unlike the Agbozome section where they rely solely on the lagoon. He, therefore, appealed to the government to ask the company to stop its work and do the right thing. The Keta Lagoon separates Agbozome and Edina, near Keta. It dries up during the dry season and the sediment, salt, is gathered by the locals and sold in the market. During the rainy season, the land is flooded and there is a variety of fish including tilapia, mudfish, catfish and silverfish, and crabs, which the residents use as food and sell. They, however, claim that the salt factory, which began operations in 2010, had taken over the lagoon hence they no longer had access to the salt or the fishes. They also lamented that the activities of the salt factory had exposed the communities to environmental dangers.   According to them, a crater that has been created by the factory as they scoop the sand which hitherto protected the banks of the lagoon and prevented flooding in the community to construct roads, pose a danger to them. Last Saturday’s protest became intense when police officers arrived at the scene to ensure law and order.  The presence of the police angered the protesters who alleged that the police had arrested three people from the community, after accusing them of vandalising the property of the salt factory. But the Volta Regional Police Commander, Mr Mensah, assured them that the three people would be freed if police investigations vindicated them. The Regional Security Co-ordinator, Lt. Col Dovlo, also gave an assurance that the demands of the people would be looked into to help ensure lasting peace in the area. The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Pascal Lamptey, whom the people had accused of ignoring their concerns, also assured them that immediate action would be taken on their concerns. Meanwhile, the people say they are giving the relevant government agencies including the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the municipal assembly the opportunity to do something now or they would resort to more unpleasant measures.  

The Energy Commission of Ghana has ordered a British waste management company, EnviroCom, to re-export 57 containers of banned refrigerators it illegally imported into the country within seven days. The government on January 1, 2013 banned second-hand and inefficient refrigerators which have the ozone depleting gas, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). Such fridges release into the environment toxic substances such as metal lead, chemicals such as phthalates as well as chlorinated dioxins known to promote cancer.The Executive Director of the Commission, Dr Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, told a section of the media that the company, which calls itself the UK’s largest electrical re-use and recycling company, defied the ban and advice of the government to desist from exporting the items to Ghana.He explained that EnviroCom could be surcharged and ordered to disassemble and recycle the consignment if it failed to comply with the seven-day re-export ultimatum, which was issued out in a letter sent out on December 19. The Energy Commission has already impounded 2,000 refrigerators from the Takoradi port alone which it had disassembled and extracted the CFC gas from, separated the remains into aluminium and copper and recycled for other uses.Dr Ahenkorah added that 400 refrigerators had also been seized from Tema with additional 300 expected shortly to be recycled at the Kwabenya collection and dismantling yard, where old refrigerators are sent for safe removal of CFC gas and government sponsored discount vouchers given out to subsidise new ones.The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Armah Kofi-Buah, said at the same programme that the refrigerator rebate and turn-in scheme had been scaled up to cover the entire country.It is estimated that for every efficient refrigerator introduced, an average of 500kWh a year would be saved.The energy minister said refrigerator mechanics in the country had also been trained in servicing, refrigerant handling and safety. Although the ban came into force on January 1, this year shipments that pre-dated the ban were allowed into the country.The British newspaper, the Guardian, however claimed on November 4, 2013 that it had seen documents which showed that the fridges were shipped from Britain to Ghana in August this year, months after the ban came into force.The newspaper further quoted sources at EnvironCom as saying that it sold second-hand fridges to third parties to ship to Ghana and that it was not responsible for delays during the shipping process.A study by Greenpeace found that about 75 per cent of second-hand goods imported to Africa could not be reused. In Ghana, dumped fridges and computers were releasing hazardous substances into the environment. These include toxic metal lead; chemicals such as the phthalates DEHP and DBP, which are known to interfere with sexual reproduction; and chlorinated dioxins known to promote cancer.Ghana, the first country in West Africa to introduce the ban, is bent on seizing the banned fridges once they arrive at its ports.

  A 40-year-old unemployed on Tuesday told an Accra circuit court that he did not have sex with a mentally challenged girl but fondled her breast. Emmanuel Ashirifi Quarshie, charged with carnal knowledge of a female idiot, pleaded not guilty and the court admitted him to bail in the sum of GH¢ 20,000 with two sureties. Quarshie is to reappear before the court presided over by Ms Ellen V. Amoah on January 22. Prosecuting Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire told the court that the complainant Clara Serwah Ningson is a nurse, who resides at Laterbiokoshie. She is also the mother of the victim. Prosecution said the victim 26, is a hairdresser apprentice, who is mentally challenged. The accused person also goes about in the neighbourhood helping people with menial jobs. On December 4, this year at about 8:00pm, prosecution said the complainant returned from church and met the victim descending from the top floor of their story building. The complainant became suspicious and questioned the victim who disclosed that the accused person had had sex with her on the stair case. The complainant reported the matter to the Police where the victim was issued with a medical form for examination and treatment. Prosecution said during investigations, it was disclosed that some unscrupulous persons in the neighbourhood had taken advantage of her plight. Accused person was however, arrested and efforts are being made to arrest the other persons who have been taking advantage of her.  

  An entire family comprising a man and his two wives as well as children were banished from Walewale on the night of December 24 for an alleged recalcitrant behaviour towards the Paramount chief of Wungu.   Mr Fuseini Bawa and his family were thrown out of their house on the orders of the Wungu Naba, Alhaji Saaka Sulemana, saying he did not deserve to live in the community for his alleged stubbornness and threatening to sue him (Chief). Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency had it that many people gave cattle  to a Fulani herdsman to take care of  but he sold the animals to people who also had cattle with him, creating multiple owners. The Fulani herdsman sensed danger and bolted leaving the cattle behind, creating conflict among the buyers. The Wungu Naba intervened and distributed the cattle and in the process denied the banished man who also had cattle with the Fulani herdsman. He complained that he was unjustifiably treated through a lawyer and this led to his banishment.   Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Simon Peter Akabati, the West Mamprusi District Police Commander, told the GNA that DISEC set up a committee and asked the Traditional Council to settle the matter amicably. He said Bawa did not accept the settlement by the Traditional Council and wrote a letter demanding 26 cattle within five days and failure would result in him taking legal action against the chief. According DSP Akabadti, the chief became furious and banished him since according to their tradition, subjects did not dictate to chiefs. A civil society group based in Walewale that pleaded anonymity described the incident as a big slap on the face of human rights advocacy and an affront to the fundamental human rights of the banished family. It said the family was thrown out of their own house in the cold hours of the night, which was dehumanizing. The organization said it was even surprising that the matter was sent to the District Security Committee but it failed to resolve the matter and called on the Police Service and the National Security Agencies to act. The banished man has arrived at Nalerigu to complain to the Nayire who has authority over the entire Mamprugu and the GNA learnt the Nayiri had sent a three-man delegation to Walewale to resolve the matter.  

  The Jomoro Cocoa Farmers Association (JCFA) has called on the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to clamp down on licensed buying-companies (LBCs) falsifying cocoa beans weighing scales to cheat farmers. It said the association had, for the past three years, embarked on an advocacy action to stop the falsification of weighing scales by the LBCs but had failed to get any of the proposed solutions implemented. A statement signed by the Chairman of the association, Mr Paul Kodjo, said, “A survey that was conducted to establish the real impact of the use of falsified weighing scales on the incomes of cocoa farmers in seven cocoa growing districts indicated that farmers lost half of their annual income as a result of the falsification.” It said sensitisation and consultative meetings were organised for cocoa farmers and stakeholders to solicit stakeholders’ views and concerns over the falsification of weighing scales. The statement further noted that representatives of seven major cocoa-growing areas met officials of COCOBOD and other stakeholders last year to discuss modalities to establish a transparent system to regularly check and monitor cocoa weighing scales used by the LBCs. “A wide range of recommendations were made at the meeting, prominent among these recommendations were that the COCOBOD should provide electronic and sealed cocoa weighing scales that could not be tampered with by the purchasing clerks and that all the LBCs must use weighing stones to assure farmers that their scales were not tampered with,” it said. The statement said members of the association were disappointed that the solutions and recommendations that were raised at the meeting to put an end to the problem were not being implemented, a year after the meeting with COCOBOD.  

  Newmont Ghana Gold Limited ( NGGL) has laid off 240 workers this year due to the recent fall in the price of gold on the world market and the escalating cost of doing business in the last five years. The move is to make the company break even and continue to stay in business. The Communications Manager of Newmont at the Ahafo Mine site, Mr Agbeko  Azumah, disclosed this at the annual press soirée of the company held at Kenyasi, the capital of the Asutifi North District in the Brong Ahafo Region, on Friday. The event was to interact with journalists in the region and also to see how best Newmont could collaborate with the media to enhance sustainable development in the company's operation areas, as well as to improve the livelihoods of the people in its host communities. Mr Azumah said the workers who were affected by the downsizing and had been paid their retrenchment packages were from the head office in Accra, and the Ahafo and Akyem project sites in the Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions respectively. He stated that 2013 had been a very challenging year for mining companies in the country and expressed the hope that the coming year would be better. Mr Azumah noted that as part of measures to position the company to still remain in business, there was the need to cut cost and reduce the number of workers hence the decision to retrench the 240 workers. He said the company was adjudged the overall best mining company in the country that observed safety rules and regulations in the mining sector for the year 2013 by the National Minerals Commission and gave an assurance that the company would continue to operate within the confines of the laws that governed mining. Mr Azumah said the company would also continue to make an impact in the lives of people in the communities affected by its operations, adding that Newmont  had so far contributed GH¢28.9 million ($17 million ) to the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) since its establishment in 2008 in fulfilment of its commitment to ensure sustainable  development in host communities.  He noted that in spite of the fall in gold price on the world market, Newmont would continue to contribute its $1.00 per ounce of gold produced and one per cent of its annual net profit to the foundation. Mr Azumah disclosed that to date, NADeF had completed and handed over about 43 infrastructural and social amenities, including community libraries, teachers’ and nurses’ quarters, ICT centres and schools among others in its 10 host communities in the Ahafo Mine area to beneficiary communities. He expressed his appreciation to the media for the support during the year and hoped that the relationship between the company and the media would be strengthened in the coming years.  

  Eleven  persons, including a spiritualist, arrested over alleged attack and robbery of the chief of Adansi-Dompoase in the Obuasi Municipality, have been remanded in prison custody by a Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by M. Emmanuel Amo-Yartey. They were said to have broken into the palace of Nana Okofo Sobenekan the second, and made away with gold ornaments and other valuables costing about GH¢30,000.00. Mallam Issah (the spiritualist), Yakubu, Nana Baffoe, Christopher, Nuhu Seidu, Stephen, Razak, Akwasi Appiah, Martin Baidoo, Ahmed Issah and Kwabena Gyimah, are facing 12 criminal charges, including conspiracy, robbery, threat of death, unlawful damage, assault and unlawful entry. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges, and would make their next appearance in court on Friday, December 27. State Attorneys Miss Cecilia Animah Pepprah and Nana Ama Danquaah Kessey, told the court that the offence was committed on December 3, at about 0500 hours. According to the prosecution, there was a big bang on the main gate to the palace and when the personal assistant to the chief, Daniel Yaw Aboagye, rushed to find out what was happening, he was confronted by the accused persons who carried pistols, cutlasses, axes, pinch bars and pickaxes. The prosecution said they  instructed him to lead them to the chief’s room but he refused, and they beat him up mercilessly for his defiance. The State Attorneys said Mallam Issah, who had a pretty good knowledge of the palace, made it straight to the chief’s room followed by the others, where they ransacked and seized the items, amid threats to “finish him,” The prosecution said the accused persons also held hostage members of the household - forcibly took away their mobile phones and dug the compound for a charm they claimed had been buried there by Nana Sobenekan for spiritual fortification. Upon receiving information about the robbery, the police responded swiftly and managed to arrest them before they could flee, the prosecution added.  

Photojournalist Sameul Tei Adano captures how Accra's choking Christmas traffic grounded public transport and forced commuters to complete their journeys on foot.   Watch the video below.